Thank you for this fantastic information. DH and I did circ our first son, but we have definately changed our perspective thanks to passionate and caring mamas like you. We will not be circ'ing any future boys we are blessed with. Thank you for helping to spread facts and educate people like me who were on the fence before.

I've read through a bunch of the responses here and I was struck by the comment about ear piercing. Although I personally would never get any infants ears pierced male or female, the two situations are not of equal weight.

A circumcision is a permanent procedure to a infants genitals. Ear piercing is a non permanent procedure to an ear lobe. At any point an earing can be removed, the hole can close, and there will be a minimal scar if any.

An infant who has been circumcised, can not when he grows up decide to grow his foreskin back. While an adult who decides he/she no longer wants to wear earings can simply take them out.

If we are going to compare procedures to prove a point the comparison should really be of equal weight. The fact that they are both decisions made by the parent without a child's consent is not enough.

I myself do not have any children that are boys, yet. But before the birth of my daughter ( I didn't know she was a girl at the time). I let my husband know under no uncertain terms was the baby to be circumcised. I also told him that if our little guy wanted a circumcision he could always get one, but it would be his decision not ours. He thought about it and said that's fair enough.

Thank you for this fantastic information. DH and I did circ our first son, but we have definately changed our perspective thanks to passionate and caring mamas like you. We will not be circ'ing any future boys we are blessed with. Thank you for helping to spread facts and educate people like me who were on the fence before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xkellyx

I've read through a bunch of the responses here and I was struck by the comment about ear piercing. Although I personally would never get any infants ears pierced male or female, the two situations are not of equal weight.

A circumcision is a permanent procedure to a infants genitals. Ear piercing is a non permanent procedure to an ear lobe. At any point an earing can be removed, the hole can close, and there will be a minimal scar if any.

An infant who has been circumcised, can not when he grows up decide to grow his foreskin back. While an adult who decides he/she no longer wants to wear earings can simply take them out.

If we are going to compare procedures to prove a point the comparison should really be of equal weight. The fact that they are both decisions made by the parent without a child's consent is not enough.

I myself do not have any children that are boys, yet. But before the birth of my daughter ( I didn't know she was a girl at the time). I let my husband know under no uncertain terms was the baby to be circumcised. I also told him that if our little guy wanted a circumcision he could always get one, but it would be his decision not ours. He thought about it and said that's fair enough.

I do agree that circumcision and infant ear piercing are not of the same magnitude, but ear piercing can be just as permanent. My mom had my ears pierced when I was just 5 days old. I stopped wearing earrings at a very young age, probably 8 or so, and my holes still have not closed up. I'm not making any comparisons to the magnitude of pain or bodily integrity, just thought I'd throw that out there. In my situation, my ear piercing is permanent.

We actually wrote "no circ" on the little shirts they put on the baby in the hospital, and on the front of every diaper, and still, we didn't leave them alone. When the nurses wanted to do the tests and measuring, I went with them to the nursery and watched.

My husband is, but actually was the one to educate ME about it when we realized I was having our first son. He is now almost 6 and fine, not one UTI or any problems. We had one lil issue w/an OLD ped that wanted to pull back on his foreskin... I changed drs.
I'm having a boy this time and of course no circ on him either!

I wish that since Oprah was so 'caught up' in the whole female circ or gender mutilation, than she or someone else should be just as 'crazy' about male mutilation.

Oh, and I am one who had all 3 of my girls' ears pierced as babies, but did not have my son circ'd. I feel that they are 2 different things on 2 different levels. My girls were never in pain nor did they need any pain relief. They did cry, but b/c of the noise. As soon as it was over and I turned them to face me again they were fine.

My oldest dd just said to me the other day that she is glad her ears were already pierced.

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I think the point about ear piercings and circ'ing is that some women didn't understand why women WOULD have their sons circ'ed, but WOULD NOT have their daughters ears pierced because of the pain and the fact that it is "their choice". There are a lot of posts so someone may have posted something different, but this is what I remember. Not so much saying that they are the same.

I am not okay with piercing babies or toddlers ears, though. Mostly this is because it is done with a gun which is unsanitary and leaves a jagged hole which does not typically heal well. Plus the people who operate guns are not really that well trained IMO. Having over 14 different piercings (not including the ear piercings my mom had done on me with a gun) I am particular who shoves what through my body. The person who pierced my ears when I was too young to remember did it crooked and I had to have them redone. So now I look like I have an extra large hole in one of my ears.

Also I believe that piercings, which ARE a permanent body alteration, should be a choice as well. When my kids are old enough/ready they can ask me and depending on what it is I will take them to a piercing shop to have it done properly with a needle not a gun. However if you get your babies ears pierced I couldn't care less. I'm not going to lead a campaign against it or anything. There are more important things to worry about.

Sorry kind of a side tangent. I'm done.

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